The Change in Attitudes Towards Abortion in Former West and East Germany After Reunification: a Latent Class Analysis and Implications for Abortion Access

Einleitung: Der rechtliche Status des Schwangerschaftsabbruchs in den Regionen der früheren DDR hat sich nach der Wiedervereinigung und der Übernahme der restriktiveren westdeutschen Politik geändert. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Auswirkungen dieser Veränderungen auf die Einstellungen zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch und die Implikationen für die damit verbundene Gesundheitsversorgung in Ost- und Westdeutschland zu untersuchen. Material und Methoden: Der Allgemeinen Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften aus den Jahren 1992, 1996, 2000, 2006 und 2012 (N = 14 459) wurden bundesweit repräsentative Daten über das Ausmaß der öffentlichen Unterstützung für den legalen Zugang zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch entnommen. Basierend auf der Anzahl der vorhandenen Einrichtungen, die Schwangerschaftsabbrüche vornehmen, und dem Anteil der Frauen, die für einen Schwangerschaftsabbruch in ein anderes Bundesland reisten, wurden pro Bundesland 2 Indikatoren kalkuliert, welche die Einschränkungen beim Zugang zur Versorgung bei Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen darstellen sollten. Die Daten wurden mittels der latenten Klassenanalyse analysiert. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Einstellungen zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch in 3 unterschiedliche Untergruppen unterteilt werden können: 1) Der Zugang zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch wird, ungeachtet der Gründe der betroffenen Frauen, unterstützt; 2) Der Zugang zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch wird unterstützt, wenn der Schwangerschaftsabbruch mit einem mütterlichen oder fetalen Gesundheitsrisiko begründet wird, nicht aber, wenn er aus sozioökonomischen Gründen (z. B. finanzielle Einschränkungen) durchgeführt wird; und 3) der Zugang zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch wird generell nicht unterstützt. Die Größe der jeweiligen Untergruppen, die eine teilweise oder gänzliche Einschränkung des Zugangs zum Schwangerschaftsabbruchs befürworten, ist im Laufe des untersuchten Studienzeitraums in beiden Regionen angestiegen und diese Tendenz war nicht auf Veränderungen in den soziodemografischen Merkmale zurückzuführen. Befragte, die in Bundesländern lebten, wo der Zugang zur Versorgung bei Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen mit größeren Hürden verbunden war, neigten eher zu restriktiveren Einstellungen zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch. Schlussfolgerung: Die negativen Einstellungen zum Schwangerschaftsabbruch sind in West- und Ostdeutschland in den 2 Jahrzehnten seit der Wiedervereinigung angestiegen. Das kann sich auf Frauen nachteilig auswirken, wenn die allgemeine Akzeptanz der Versorgung und der Zugang zur Versorgung bei Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen sinkt. Politische Maßnahmen, der öffentliche Diskurs und die Integration von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen in die Gesundheitsversorgung sollten sich nach den internationalen Richtlinien zum Schutz von Frauengesundheit und Frauenrechten richten.Introduction: The legal status of abortion has changed in the regions of former East Germany after reunification due to the adoption of restrictive West German abortion policies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on attitudes towards abortion and the associated health care implications in Western and Eastern Germany. Materials and Methods: Nationally representative data on public support for legally restricting abortion access were taken from the German General Social Survey and included the surveys 1992, 1996, 2000, 2006 and 2012 (N = 14 459). Two indicators of barriers to access to abortion care were calculated for each federal state, based on the number of abortion facilities and the proportion of women seeking abortion outside their state of residency. Data were analysed using latent class analysis. Results: Results suggested that abortion attitudes could be classified into three distinct subgroups: 1) support for abortion access independent of womenʼs reason; 2) support on the basis of maternal or foetal health reasons but not for socio-economic reasons (e.g. financial restrictions); and 3) no support. The size of subgroups in favour of partial or complete restriction on abortion access increased in both regions over the study period and this trend could not be explained by changes in socio-demographic characteristics. Respondents living in a federal state with more barriers to access to abortion care were more likely to hold restrictive abortion attitudes. Conclusion: Negative attitudes towards abortion have increased in Western and Eastern Germany during the two decades following reunification and may harm women by limiting acceptability and accessibility of abortion care. Abortion policies, public discourse and provision of abortion care should be informed by international guidelines protecting womenʼs health and rights

Impulsive aggressiveness of pregnant women affects the development of the fetal heart

Mounting evidence indicates that the development of the fetus is heavily influenced by the intra-uterine milieu during pregnancy, and that such influence may have life-long consequences for the individual. The intra- uterine milieu is not only influenced by nutritional factors, but also by maternal endocrine and autonomic activity. Such activity is prone to be affected by an individual's personality, but only little is known about influences of maternal personality on the development of the fetus. We tested pregnant women for their propensity for impulsive, uncontrollable outbursts of temper (referred to here as moderate Intermittent Explosive Disorder, mIED). After the women gave birth, we measured electrocardiograms (ECGs) from their newborn infants to compare ECGs between newborns of women with and without mIED. The data show that infants of women with mIED have larger QRS complexes in the electrocardiogram, and lower heart rate variability, compared to infants of women without mIED. These results reveal effects of maternal mIED on the fetal heart development. These effects may predispose the individual to increased risk for later cardio-vascular disease. The findings open perspectives for better risk prevention models for the unborn child

Pitfalls of Professionalism? Military Academies and Coup Risk

Military academies tend to be strongly linked to the professionalization of the armed forces. This explains why many countries in the world have created such institutions. The following article studies a potential negative externality stemming from military schools: increased coup risk. We argue that military academies may create, inculcate, and strengthen cohesive views that could conflict with incumbent policies, and that these schools establish networks among military officers that may facilitate coordination necessary for plotting a putsch. We also contend and empirically demonstrate that these negative side effects of military academies are in particular pronounced in nondemocracies, that is, military academies have diverse effects across regime types. This work has significant implications for our understanding civil–military relations. Furthermore, we contribute to the literature on military education and professionalization, as we suggest that military academies are important vehicles through which coups can emerge predominantly in authoritarian states

Recent Status New Superconducting CW Heavy Ion LINAC@GSI

The demonstrator is a prototype of the first section of the proposed cw-LINAC@GSI, comprising a superconducting CH-cavity embedded by two superconducting solenoids. The sc CH-structure is the key component and offers a variety of research and development. The beam focusing solenoids provide maximum fields of 9.3 T at an overall length of 380 mm and a free beam aperture of 30 mm. The magnetic induction of the fringe is minimized to 50 mT at the inner NbTi-surface of the neighboring cavity. The fabrication of the key components is still in progress and is near to completion. After cold performance testing of the RF cavity, the helium jacket will be welded on. The cryostat is partly assembled and will be finished in the next weeks. The test environment is completely prepared. Advanced emittance measurement is foreseen to prepare for best matching of the heavy ion beam from the injector. Integration of the cryostat into the beam line, the first cool down of the module and commissioning of the RF elements will be performed as next steps towards a complete testing of the demonstrator

Investigations of LiNb1−xTaxO3 nanopowders obtained with mechanochemical method

Nanocrystalline compounds LiNb1−xTaxO3 of various compositions (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) were synthesized by high-energy ball milling of the initial materials (Li2CO3, Nb2O5, Ta2O5) and subsequent high-temperature annealing of the resulting powders. Data on the phase composition of the nanopowders were obtained by X-ray diffraction methods, and the dependence of the structural parameters of LiNb1−xTaxO3 compounds on the value of x was established. As a result of the experiments, the optimal parameters of the milling and annealing runs were determined, which made it possible to obtain single-phase compounds. The Raman scattering spectra of LiNb1−xTaxO3 compounds (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) have been investigated. Preliminary experiments have been carried out to study the temperature dependences of their electrical conductivit

Protocol for the phase 2 EDELIFE trial investigating the efficacy and safety of intra-amniotic ER004 administration to male subjects with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia

X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED) is a rare genetic disorder characte-rised by abnormal development of the skin and its appendages, such as hair and sweat glands, the teeth, and mucous glands of the airways, resulting in serious, sometimes life-threatening complications like hyperthermia or recurrent respiratory infections. It is caused by pathogenic variants of the ectodysplasin A gene